Studio Parris Wakefield has some shots from the Joy Division box set up featuring the classic Peter Saville-art directed, Howard Wakefield-designed covers. Reminded me of just how good restraint can look.

The new Brian Eno album (which has beautiful packaging, examples below) reminded me of how aesthetically pleasing his catalog is, so I thought I’d post some of my favorites. The reverse for Discreet Music is probably my favorite; need a poster of that for the studio.

Hard Format has some great shots of and original 12″ sleeve for Kraftwerk’s Autobahn (the brown tape just makes it that much better). This has to be one of my all-time favorite covers; I cut a picture of it out of Rolling Stone and had it on my fridge for years, but if I had this is would be framed in the middle of the room. What are some other great minimalist sleeves? Link them in the comments.

Hard Format has some great shots of the die-cut Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark LP cover. The cover was designed by Ben Kelly and Peter Saville for the Dindisc label. Die-cut is always a good idea and I love the vibrations between these blue and orange shades, something about it absolutely works.

Project Thirty-Three has a great collection of vintage record sleeves up. This kind of minimalist approach to record jacket design is about as close as it gets to perfection for me. I’ve always loved the Blue Note style stuff but this is just a little more what I’m looking for. The simplicity is what really gets me, so much with so little. Wish I had prints of all these, but as a consolation, they make great iPhone backgrounds after a little editing.

Coming across a 100% album isn’t very easy to do. On first listen of Song Cycle, it’s pure perfection blinded me. There’s not a single note I would change or a track I’d skip. Solid gold.

Parks was only 23 when he was asked by Brian Wilson to work on the famed Smile album with him. He pumped out “Heroes and Villains”, “Surf’s Up” (one of the best songs ever written), and many others with Wilson. After leaving the project, he went to write his first solo project Song Cycle at age 25; one of the most expensive albums ever recorded.

Give it a listen, and go buy it. You can get some great 180g analog master pressings on eBay.

Van Dyke Parks – Palm Desert

Van Dyke Parks – All Golden

Van Dyke Parks – Public Domain

“I should think he’d fade away; the way that bohemians often bare the frigid air.”

If you asked me years ago what would be my dream release to coordinate it would of been this one. Casino Versus Japan’s first album from 1998 reissued with ISO50 artwork?! I can’t think of anything better. Casino Versus Japan hasn’t released anything in nearly 6 years and having the honor last weekend to have him play a show with Tycho and now them working together on this release creatively, plus ISO50 merchandise on the way I think we will have ourselves something special that will be loved for many more years. The album consists of 23 songs split up in 4 parts full of some of the best drone and echoed guitar while the artwork by Scott has a gorgeous color palette with beautifully textured moons colliding and our friend faintly catching a wave in one of them. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on both the art and music on this one.